Europe Defence News

Belgium, Netherlands; Joint procurement of 16 future Frigates

On the sidelines of the June 7-8 meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, the Belgian and Dutch defense ministers signed two MoUs ratifying their plan to jointly procure 16 warships.

Their national parliaments have already approved the project, and authorized the necessary funds, clearing the way for the ministerial ratification. Contract award is expected to follow soon, possible as soon as the end of the year. The 16 warships consist of four frigates – two for each country – and 12 minehunters – six each – and are estimated to cost about 4 billion euros, which the two countries will share evenly. The frigate program will be managed by the Netherlands, and the frigates built in Dutch shipyards, while Belgium will take the lead for the minehunters.